Sidewalk or Sideshop?

Sidewalks in Hanoi are for everything but walking. The sidewalks are always a great place for a restaurant. Kind of like a lemonade stand, but the difference is you sit on plastic chairs and buy some beers instead of lemonade. We can't seem to summon up the courage to try one of these "restaurants" yet! Also, if you are having car trouble, you could just stop by one of the sidewalk tire vendors and they will fix it for you for a low price. Who needs parking lots when you have a brand new 10 foot wide sidewalk? It is better than any parking lot! In a hurry? Need to go the other way down a one way street on your motorbike? No problem! Just use the sidewalk...there is guaranteed to be no pile-ups!

Too Much Food!!

We set sail for Ha Long Bay.  We got a special deal on a boat, we got to stay on a much fancier junk than we thought. And fancier boat means fancier food! For breakfast we had potato, eggs, shrimp, rice, beef and fruit." For lunch we had x2 that and for dinner after a whole 3 courses of seafood they bring out beef and say, "done with seafood, now beef!" And let me tell you it was TOO MUCH!

crazy twins on boat

have you ever been on a boat with twin babies? cause you don't want to. they wake up at 4 in the morning and try to go down all the stairs. and they never stop! but with the help of 6 people we can do it. the babies liked dancing on the top of the roof with terry and eating noodles. tuck rolled under his bed because he wasn't in a crib. and after we left the boat was all messed up.

Boat Dedication and Ceremony

What a treat to be invited to the family ceremony to pray and give thanks for the success of the new boat we were on. We went with the owners and their father to the island of Quan Lan where they grew up. There we transfered to the wharf which had flags flying from all the fishing boats and went to three of the five temples that were visited that day. We traveled by Tuc Tuc, a motorcycle-powered covered wagon (five adults and five children inside). The temples ranged from simple cement block buildings to outrageously decorated large structures and one that was used as a community center complete with old women playing cards and gambling just outside the steps.

Ha Long Bay Adventure

For the past three days we have been on a "venture" as Govie says. The whole gang plus a driver and two babysitters traveled from Hanoi by van to Ha Long Bay. It took about 4 hours but seemed like a lot longer with "double trouble", Tuck and Jones, diving from the front to the very rear of the van. The whole idea of car seats, seat belts, etc. does not exist here. As we left the city, we very quickly were in the middle of rice fields, small towns and a little less traffic.

We had requested a private boat so the twins would not bother any other guests. We discovered on arrival in Ha Long Bay that we not only had a private boat but we had a new 20 room vessel with a staff of 12. We all chose our rooms - Tucker and I had two adjoining rooms with two full baths so we could put our clothes in one and sleep in the other. The rooms were appointed with hand carved furniture and silk curtains and pillows. Lisa and the children had about 4 rooms together but we only had one crib. This resulted in Tuck sleeping on a mattress on the floor. Since he rolls around alot, one night Lisa found him completely under the bed. It did not make for alot of sleep.

After settling in we had our first meal. The dishes kept coming, presentation was amazing and the fresh fish, vegetable and fruit the best we have had in Vietnam.

We feel so lucky to have been able to share this experience with Lisa and the kids - we wish that all of you had been with us also.

Ho Chi Minh's House

Today, I went to see Ho Chi Minh for the second time but this time, I paid more attention to his life than I did to his body.

I learned that he was offered a really fancy house that they called "the yellow house." But he refused and built a small, plain house next to the yellow house but the yellow house remained his office. Later on, Ho Chi Minh moved to a house on stilts that was almost like a tree house. It was built right next to his old house which is where he ate his meals. Later, after that, a building next to that became a hospital which is where Ho Chi Minh passed away.

Scattered thoughts

So you thought that driving at night is a problem in the US? This is taken from the balcony of Legend cafe where one has a very cold beer and a terrific view of the craziness.

Also, this is what happens if you forget and brush your teeth with water out of the tap:

But the good news is that at the end of the day with the five kids and some sake, you have this facial expression:

Today we are off to say hi to Uncle Ho.

Tucker

Back in Hanoi

Now back in Hanoi, settled back into the 3 bedroom apt in the center of town, I realize that I feel at home. I guess it is because home is really just wherever your family is and with everyone here, it feels like home to me (home minus the dogs!) Wescott, Yve and Otto have had fun showing Terry and PopPop the sites in Hanoi and are now becoming experts! If they stay here longer, they could start making some extra money doing English tours of the major attractions. Here they are showing Terry and PopPop the Temple of Art and Literature!

Happy or Sad?

Everyday, we either see Tucker Tuck-Tang cring and Jones-Chien happy or is it the other way around? Anyways what I am trieing to tell you is that everyday Tuck and Jones always switch off being sad or happy. So if one day Jones is really happy you'd think "oh, maybe since Jones is happy today, he will be happy tomorrow" but then he isn't and Tuck is.

You see it is very complecated knowing who is going to be happy or sad? Sierecly sometimes they are both happy, and then one falls down and starts crying then you pick him up and he is fine, but suddenly you aren't fine because the other one bonked is head in the chair and wants you to pick him up, so after a while of listening to him cry you pick him up or give him a time out.....

If you pick Tuck or Jones up when they are crying for no reason they will stop immediately until you put them in a time out then they really get sad.

So where was I? Oh yes after a while of listening to him cry you pick him up and put the other one down because they are two heavy if you pick them both up. So the one you put down will start to cry because he wants you to carry him and sometimes their crys are so loud that you just have to pick him up. And in the end you'll be carrying both of them.

I don't know but to have an hour of peace and quiet while the babies are sleeping to one of them waking up and starting to cry and make the other one cry is total trouble until one fo the big kids makes them happy. Putting on music and having dance partys and running around the apartment to having a nap and a baba itn is total chaos then it is mellow a little then it is back to chaos.

The thing is you never know who is going to be happy or sad.

Travel with the gang

Going out in Hanoi with the gang is, to say the least, a real "trip." First you have to catch the little devils, get them cleaned up and dressed. It is sort of like putting socks on an eel. Two eels.
Next is the double stroller and convincing the older ones to find their shoes, remember the cameras and chargers, etc. We walk everywhere. It is a little disconcerting to realize that the street folks who reach out for the children do so as a gesture of kindness and real pleasure at seeing this unusual grouping. If they did it in the states, you would probably call the cops, but here it is facinatingly universal.
We went to the Art and Literature "museum" and then the museum of fine arts (not shown) and by the time this was over, everyone was a dead duck. But the puppet show at night and the night market awaited. Tired yet?

Tucker

Dinner as a Contact Sport

Every now and then we decide that it really shouldn't be that bad to take the twins to a restaurant with us. Will we never learn? They are both at that active, wiggley, antsy stage so the concept of sitting down to eat does not exist. While they were in the orphanage, they sat in a circle on the floor and ate. Now they crawl all over us - we are only saved by an order of french fries!

Legends Beer View

One of the first things you will notice about Hanoi is how much traffic there is. Beeping is all you hear and motor bikes are all you see. But it's hard to take it all in, which is why Legends Beer is a great place to sit down and soak it in with a view of mayhem.

Return to the West: 8 Hours in Japan

What a strange feeling it is to leave Vietnam after a couple of months, with your whole family staying behind... just part of the surreal journey we're on I guess.

I had an 8 hour layover in Tokyo, so I decided to jump on the train (Karen, I can do the Keisei Line!) and check out a couple of towns.

The first stop was Narita, which is a wonderful town that has one of Japan's most important temples. Built over 1,000 years ago, the Naritasan Shinshoji Temple is a must see, not only for the amazing structures and temples, but also the beautiful gardens. It's worth walking through the entire grounds as you get a good feel of the culture combined with a great walk through spectacular gardens and manicured forests. With probably just a couple of warmer days, the cherry blossoms will be in full bloom, and I was fortunate to see some of the early-blooming varieties begin to burst.

The contrast between Hanoi and Narita was markedly opposite - no horns blaring, no mopeds, clean and neat streets, perfect store fronts... even the Buddhist traditions were so different, with offerings exquisitely placed in symmetrical pyramids, and access fairly cut off to the alters. Where Vietnamese temples feel like a community center where everyone is welcome, these temples and shrines were much more monumental, formal and serious. Here's a couple of pics:




After Narita, I hopped on another train and checked out the town of Sakura, famous for the Samurai warriors who used to live there in the Edo Period. I checked out some of their traditional houses and learned that in addition to their swordsmanship, they did quite a bit of gardening as well! From vegetable and fruit gardens to feed the family, to intricate plantings to fortify their residences against attack... Pretty cool, huh?! Here's a couple of shots:

Gardening in Vietnam

You had to know I'd post something about this sooner or later :-). Nurseries in Vietnam are pretty cool, with lots of different plant material to check out. Like everything in this country, nurseries we visited were narrow and deep, creating a cool path of discovery. Bonsai trees reign supreme, as most Hanoi gardens consist of a terrace, a courtyard or balcony. They take their Bonsai seriously, and we've seen so many amazing specimens. A lot of their containers are flat bottomed shapes elevated on a pedestal or feet, adding to their exotic feel. Here are a few pics of some highlights: